Fiat 124 Spider

Overview

With its unique mix of Italian style and Japanese engineering, the Mazda MX-5 Miata–based Fiat 124 Spider is a sushi roll stuffed in cannelloni. It's more than a bunch of new badges, however, as the 124 Spider sports an exclusive turbocharged Fiat engine, unique suspension tuning, and a more upscale interior. It's a bit more relaxed than the Miata, but it still provides thrills on a twisty road—and the same top-down, wind-in-your-hair feeling of freedom. Enthusiasts such as us will prefer the rowdier Abarth version with its more aggressive suspension and raspier exhaust note, but no matter which model you choose, the 124 Spider is no grocery getter, so plan accordingly.

What's New for 2019?

The 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen and a federally required backup camera are now standard across the 124 Spider lineup, and the Technology Group package now includes SiriusXM satellite radio and keyless passive entry. Abarth models now come with a sport exhaust system and can be ordered with the Veleno Appearance Group package, which adds Abarth-branded floor mats, a metal-covered footrest for the left foot, and red mirror caps, tow hook, and front-bumper lip spoiler. Classica models offer optional racing stripes in two different styles: Double Rally stripe and Retro stripe.

Fiat 124 Pricing and Which One to Buy

Classica: $26,290

Lusso: $29,090

Abarth: $30,585

The pick of the 124 Spider range is still the rowdy Abarth version. You could add thousands of dollars in options, but you'll have the same driving enjoyment either way, thanks to the Abarth's more sporting attitude. Standard features include a six-speed manual transmission, a limited-slip differential, and a sport exhaust with four exhaust tips.

All 124 Spider models come with a turbocharged four-cylinder making 160 horsepower in Classica and Lusso models and 164 horsepower in the Abarth. It can be fun trying to keep the 124's engine on boil by constantly working the buttery six-speed manual (a six-speed automatic is optional), but the nonlinear power delivery makes the task tricky. At least when kept in the middle of the range, the Fiat engine amuses with solid punch and a brassy exhaust note. At low engine speeds, the 1.4-liter has little to give, and its gusto wears off well before the tach needle hits redline.

Where the Toyota 86 and the MX-5 Miata are autocross and track-day darlings, the softer-handling Fiat is the small roadster to buy if you prioritize sunny-day cruises over track events. The stiffer-sprung Abarth model is more of an eager little scamp, and every 124 benefits from quick, feedback-rich steering and good body control when the road deviates from the straight and narrow. The 124 Spider rides decently for a small, flyweight roadster.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

Seeing as it's lightweight and small—and powered by a tiny engine—it's no surprise that the Fiat earns sparkling fuel-economy estimates on the EPA's test cycle. In our real-world highway fuel-economy test, the 124 Spider with the manual transmission bested its highway EPA rating of 35 mpg with a 39-mpg result.

Interior, Infotainment, and Cargo

Base-model 124 Spiders have manual climate controls, while Lusso and Abarth models gain automatic climate control and heated seats, but don't expect many other luxuries. Cabin space is tight, especially for drivers and passengers measuring more than six feet tall. The top, when raised, arcs tightly over the cabin, and the small rear window contributes to the interior's confining nature. At least when the soft top is folded behind the seats, as it should be as often as possible—remember, this is a roadster!—the sky's the limit on headroom.

All 124 Spiders ship with a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Users can also operate the touchscreen via a center-console knob and its shares the infotainment software with the Miata. The setup is straightforward and benefits from shortcut buttons for audio, navigation, and home menus placed around the control knob. Bluetooth, an auxiliary audio input, and redundant steering-wheel audio and phone controls are standard, but the rest of the technology is rudimentary. Smartphone connectivity platforms such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren't offered.

If you were holding out hope that the 124 Spider might swallow cargo better than it gulps two people, dash that optimism here and now. The Spider has a small trunk and barely any cabin storage for phones, knickknacks, and the like. We fit just one carry-on suitcase inside the Fiat's trunk.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has crash-tested a 124 Spider, and driver-assistance features are extremely limited. Key safety features include:

Available blind-spot monitoring

Available rear cross-traffic alert

Available rear parking sensors

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Perhaps in an effort to dispel buyers' preconceived notions about the Fiat brand's checkered past when it comes to reliability, the 124 Spider comes with a better limited warranty and longer-term roadside assistance than the Miata.

2017 Fiat 124 Spider Manual

A turbocharger and an Italian suit don't make a better Miata.

Recent News

We’re not shy in our affection for Mazda’s latest MX-5 Miata, a 10Best Cars–winning roadster that embodies all of the driving joy we desire in a small, fun sports car. That Fiat’s new 124 Spider is basically the same car underneath makes it very good as well, an observation as we’ve noted in several reviews, including a comparison test between the two in which the sportiest Club version of the Miata bested the 124 Spider Abarth.

While the Fiat’s most basic configuration reviewed here sits at the opposite end of the lineup from the zesty Abarth, it’s still wonderfully elemental if somewhat more relaxed than its Mazda cousin.

The 2017 Fiat 124 Spider range starts at the $25,990 Classica trim with the six-speed manual transmission, which costs a scant $240 more than the base 2016 Miata Sport (Mazda has yet to release 2017 pricing). While the overall execution of Fiat’s retro design is a subjective matter, it’s mostly classy once you look past the comically oversize Fiat badge on the nose. Our test car’s small 16-inch wheels, however, combined with the 124’s additional 5.5 inches in length versus the Mazda, lent it a gawkier appearance than the svelte and toned MX-5. Granted, the taller sidewalls of our car’s Yokohama Advan Sport tires (sized 195/50 versus the optional 205/45R-17s) afford a slightly more compliant ride over rough roads, but the smaller rollers leave altogether too much empty space in the wheel wells. Those all-season tires also returned the least amount of lateral stick we’ve recorded for any “Fiata” (0.85 g), as well as a so-so 171-foot stop from 70 mph.

The Italian Job

Our 2429-pound test car was about 100 pounds lighter than the last 124 we tested with the optional six-speed automatic transmission yet about the same amount heavier than our long-term Miata Club model with the manual. The last Abarth version on our scales was 80 pounds porkier still. The greater mass manifests in the Fiat’s driving behavior, with the Spider feeling a touch larger and duller, albeit less nervous, than its Mazda sibling. Fiat’s standard suspension tuning dials out much of the body roll Mazda baked into the MX-5, and the 124’s electrically assisted steering is a bit less eager to initiate a turn. The Spider remains an incredibly agile and tactile two-seater and can be easily coaxed into drifts around corners, it’s just not as crisp or as entertaining near the limit. Although our measurements don’t reveal much difference, the 124 Spider’s added sound insulation and thicker glass do slightly reduce the cacophony of road and wind noise found in the Miata, particularly on the highway.

Quieter both in sound quality and character is the turbocharged 1.4-liter MultiAir inline-four under the Fiat’s double-vented hood; it’s as laggy and unexciting as the Miata’s naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder is effervescent. There is more power on hand—a total of 160 horses in this car’s non-Abarth trim and a stout 184 lb-ft of torque—and it delivers solid midrange punch. But the turbo boost builds slowly below 2500 rpm, and the fun quickly tapers off above 5500 revs, necessitating additional footwork from the driver to keep the engine in its sweet spot. To manage the greater amount of torque, Spiders also employ a chunkier shifter attached to the manual gearbox from the previous-generation MX-5. While it works well, with positive engagements of each ratio, the latest Mazda’s stick is even sweeter in its action. Driven more as an open-top cruiser than as a back-road charger, the 124 is pleasant and adequately powerful, with a nice growl from its dual exhaust pipes that won’t wear on you like the Abarth’s less muffled burble.

Our test car dashed to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, which is 0.5 second slower than our long-term MX-5 yet 0.5 second quicker than the automatic 124 Spider. Those margins shrink slightly at the quarter-mile mark, but our manual Fiat still split the two pretty closely with a 14.9-second pass at 95 mph. We averaged a decent 27 mpg over more than 1000 miles, a considerable improvement over the 21 mpg we observed with the automatic version. Moreover, the Fiat turned in 39 mpg in our 200-mile, 75-mph road test.

Familiar Details

The 124’s cabin is instantly familiar from the Miata’s, and it’s quite nice for such a tiny car, right down to Mazda’s console-mounted control knob for managing the central infotainment screen. Along with the requisite Fiat badges, notable changes include a few additional soft-touch surfaces and slightly revised seats and upholstery that really stand out only if you’ve put a lot of miles on a new MX-5. Our Classica example came with halogen headlights and cloth seating as well as power windows, locks, and mirrors; an infotainment system with a 3.0-inch central display, Bluetooth, air conditioning, and 12-volt and USB outlets; and other basic amenities.

The only option on our car was the $1295 Technology package, which added a 7.0-inch central touchscreen display, keyless entry, and a rearview camera for a grand total of $27,285. Considering you’d have to spend more than $30K for an MX-5 Grand Touring model to get the quieter, insulated softtop that’s standard on the Fiat, the 124 Spider can be considered something of a value. It also has the Italian connection going for it, if reliving past memories with an original 124 Spider is your thing. What isn’t available at the FCA store for any price is the purity of the Mazda’s driving behavior—that unabashed playfulness we expect in a small roadster. We’re sure plenty of people could be happy with this car; we’re just not sure they wouldn’t be happier in a Miata.